


Give it Back

by librarian_of_velaris



Category: Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Cute, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Reading
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-06-09 03:33:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15258507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/librarian_of_velaris/pseuds/librarian_of_velaris
Summary: Lorcan always knows how to push Elide's buttons and distract her from her reading. This is one of those times.





	Give it Back

“Give it back!”

Elide’s screech nearly shattered the windows in their newly remodeled home in Perranth as Lorcan snatched a book out of her hands, interrupting her reading. Thumbing through the pages, he huffed and rolled his eyes.

“Romance, Elide? Really?”

“The only way I’m going to get better is by reading things I _enjoy,_ ” she snapped back, sitting up on their new couch. Ever since returning to Perranth, she’d told Lorcan she wanted to learn to read. It was about time, she said, and Aelin had agreed it was a good idea—she even offered to teach her, but Elide refused. Aelin had insisted, promising it wouldn’t be an added burden, but Elide knew she was only kidding herself and had, again, politely declined. After Erawan there was much to be done and Elide’s eagerness to read should’ve been at the bottom of the list for the newly crowned Queen.

So Elide set off trying to learn on her own, sounding out the words one by one and writing the letters as best she could but without someone to aid her…she felt as though she was making no progress. Instead, she ended up exactly where she started, able to recognize the letters but unable to put them together.

And then Lorcan walked in on a particularly frustrating day, Elide so fed up with her inability to understand that she tossed it as hard as she could right at the door—only for Lorcan to walk through the door at the exact same time, the book hitting his face with a loud _thud._ He bent down, slowly, retrieving the book from the floor and taking a look. It was a simple book, one that Aelin had given her as a present for her birthday— _The Gift of Reading,_ it was called, and it held the key to a lock she’d been trying to pick for over a decade.

Lorcan only stared at the book, and then back to her before he pulled her close to him in a tight embrace. “I can teach you,” he whispered in her ear, and gave her a kiss so gentle she barely felt his lips against her cheek. Elide looked up at him, at the dark eyes staring down at her, and grinned, taking his head in her hands and brushing her lips against his.

He’d been teaching her ever since, working every night before bed and in between the various meetings Lorcan had with the rest of his Cadre—now loyal warriors of Terrasen. Elide had spent the time away from him reading. She started with stories short enough to finish and sounded out the words as necessary, and after a few months of lessons with Lorcan, she found herself wanting to read longer works with more complicated words. Though she still had much to learn, she wanted to at least try.

Which was why, now, Elide glared at Lorcan, her expression hardening as he laughed— _laughed_ —at her and her choice of novel. _Insufferable bastard._

“Elide, really— _this_ is what you like?” Lorcan asked, turning to a page and reading, “he slid on top of her, his rock hard—”

“Stop that!” Elide squeaked, jumping up from her spot on the couch and stalking towards him. She stretched out her arm to reach the book and rip it from his hands before he could get any further, but he raised his arm, keeping the book out of her reach.

“This isn’t funny!”

“I quite think it is,” Lorcan teased as he watched Elide trying to retrieve the book.

She tried jumping, but her short frame was nothing in comparison to the male’s—he was at least a foot and a half taller than her, and with his arm outstretched…it was at least a few feet above her head. No amount of jumping would reach that. And there was no way she could pry his arm down…she knew his strength and knew she couldn’t match that.

“Give—Me—The—Book,” Elide grunted in between jumps, causing Lorcan to launch into a laughing fit that shook his entire body. But his arm remained outstretched, refusing to abide by her demands.

“Elide, really,” he said, still laughing, “you’re, what? Five feet? You can’t reach me, let alone the book.”

“I’m five-foot-one and a quarter, to be exact,” she murmured, pouting.

Lorcan scoffed. “Okay, five-foot-one and a quarter. My point still stands.”

Elide rolled her eyes. She may not have the gift of height on her side, but she had her mind. And her body. She would win this little battle between them—and she would get her book back.

She backed away from Lorcan as the male cocked his head, looking at her quizzically. Good. A confused Lorcan was a distracted Lorcan.

He opened his mouth to speak but Elide didn’t give him time to say a word before she was running towards him and jumping onto his body, her arms wrapped around his neck and legs around his chest.

Lorcan gave a quiet _oomph_ at the contact but didn’t move, looking down at the small female that now attached herself to him.

She smirked and her left hand let go of his neck, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, keeping her balanced as she reached for the book in his hand. She was mere inches away—if she could just stretch a bit more…her hands brushed the edge of the spine and she reached out to grab it, but Lorcan was quicker, snapping his hand down at the same time Elide lost her balance. Her legs started to give, not strong enough to hold onto him much longer, and she swayed backwards. Elide threw her arms out to steady herself to no avail. She was going to fall right off of Lorcan and onto the hardwood floor.

She swayed backwards again and knew she was about to fall until a pair of sturdy, calloused hands wrapped around her body, bringing her back to him. _Lorcan._

He’d dropped the book to steady her, pulling her close and placing a kiss on her brow.

“As much as I love carrying you, Elide, I’d like a little warning next time,” he said, murmuring the words in between kisses.

She pulled back from him, studying his soft gaze.“I did what I had to do,” she said, “after all, how else would I get the book back?”

Elide freed herself from his grasp, her feet finding the floor and sauntered over to the book, picking it up and waving it around like a flag. “See? I win.”

Lorcan huffed a laugh. “I suppose you do.”

“Though,” Elide said, taking a seat on the couch, “we’re still due for reading lessons today. Come join me?”

Lorcan obliged, sitting beside Elide and wrapping his arms around her as she read her novel to him for the rest of the afternoon.


End file.
